Elaine Bromka: Incognito as Three First Ladies
Veteran actress presents Tea for Three at Hayes Center Sunday

By Jeff Eason

Actress Elaine Bromka is one of those actresses who makes viewers ask themselves, “Where have I seen her before?” With a stage, screen and television career that started in the 1970s, Bromka has acting credits in such notable television series as Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, The Sopranos, Dharma and Greg, Sex in the City and L.A. Law. She also played the mom in the popular John Candy movie Uncle Buck.

So, it’s no wonder that people instantly recognize Elaine, even when they can’t come up with her name.

This weekend, Elaine Bromka will be a little less recognizable as she dons wigs, make-up and costumes to recreate three of the most famous women in American history: First Ladies Lady Bird Johnson, Pat Nixon and Betty Ford. Bromka’s one-woman stage show, Lady Bird, Pat and Betty: Tea for Three will be presented at the Hayes Performing Arts Center in Blowing Rock on Sunday, March 15 at 3 p.m. Tickets are on sale now.

“I was doing a show with Rich Little where he played eight different presidents and I played eight different first ladies,” said Bromka. “As I got to know their characters, I really developed an affection for Lady Bird, Pat and Betty, three consecutive first ladies from the sixties and seventies. They had difficult lives—no one gets to choose to be a first lady—but they handled all the ups and downs of being in the public and political spotlight with dignity.”

Bromka stated that once she and co-playwright Eric Weinberg decided to produce a one-woman show about these three first ladies, they read biographies on them and tried to find as many video clips as possible so that Bromka could properly imitate their physical mannerisms and speech patterns.

“Pat Nixon was very hard to research,” said Bromka. “While she was constantly in the public view, she very rarely did interviews or spoke about her life in public gatherings.”

The result of all of Bromka’s research and passion is a beautiful portrait of three first ladies who reflected America during a time when it was changing rapidly. The Civil Rights Movement, the youth-inspired counter culture, the Vietnam War and Watergate are all touched upon in this moving yet fascinating glimpse of American history.

“I felt like I was reliving about 15 years of my professional life,” said Ron Nessen. “I was White House correspondent for NBC News during Lyndon Johnson’s presidency, covered the Watergate scandal and Richard Nixon’s resignation, then changed sides and became President Gerald Ford’s White House press secretary.”

“I think the extraordinary thing about all three of these women is how they handled adversity: whether it be Lady Bird having to follow such a popular first lady as Jackie Kennedy, Pat Nixon and Watergate, or Betty Ford and her problems with addiction,” said Bromka. “I try to show how they did so with some humor and compassion.”

Brunch Before Tea

Theater lovers planning to attend Lady Bird, Pat and Betty: Tea for Three are invited to take advantage of a special Sunday Arts Brunch event sponsored by three area restaurants and the Hayes Performing Arts Center. You can purchase two tickets to the stage event plus two brunch meals for a special low price. Brunch for two and a pair of tickets are $65 for meals at Bistro Roca and Glidewells, and $80 for meals at Crippens.

Individual tickets for the stage show are $20 for adults and $14 for students and are available by calling the Hayes Center Box Office at (828) 295-9627. You can also purchase the Sunday Arts Brunch package by calling the Box Office. For more information, visit www.hayescenter.org.